Incumbent Democratic governor Earl Ray Tomblin was barred from running for a second full term.

Democratic nominee Jim Justice, a hotelier and coal baron, won the open seat with a plurality of the vote, defeating Republican state senator Bill Cole and former state senator Charlotte Pritt, who ran as a member of the Mountain Party.

Earl Ray Tomblin, the president of the West Virginia Senate (with the honorary title of lieutenant governor), became acting governor, won an October 2011 special election to complete the term, and won a full term in the regularly scheduled 2012 election.

[2][3] After publicly speculating he would run for his former office, Manchin was considered a heavy favorite in the 2016 race, but he announced on April 19, 2015, that he would remain in the Senate instead.

with Booth Goodwin with Jeff Kessler with Joe Manchin Justice won 2 of 3 congressional districts, both of which elected Republicans.